FALL RIVER — Many decades ago, soap was shipped from manufacturers to stores in wooden boxes.The soap was put on the shelves for sale. The boxes went out into the alley behind the store, where enterprising youths, many from poor neighborhoods where toys were hard to come by, discovered the boxes could be fitted with wheels and used as crude race cars.

Organized, those cars became entrants in soap box derbies all across the nation.

Forty years ago, soap box derby nation included included Fall River, and it will again this summer when a soap box derby returns to Fall River.

On Thursday in North Park, Greater Fall River Re-Creation Program Director Jamison Souza announced the return of a soap box derby to Fall River.

“We’re proud to announce today that Greater Fall River Re-Creation is going to bring back an American tradition,” Souza said.

The soap box derby will take place inside North Park, on Snake Hill Road, which twists its way on a downhill course through the park.

“Fall River being a youth-friendly city, Re-Creation and the city thought it would be nice to bring it back.”

Somerset has had a soap box derby for nine years, and Selectman Scott Lebeau said he thinks the event will go well in Fall River.

“Maybe we can re-moniker the city as the city of hills, mills and soap box derby cars,” LeBeau said.

“This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while,” said Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan. “It’s Americana, really.”

Flanagan recalled his youth, watching classic American black-and-white television shows.

“It seems every series and every comic had an episode dedicated to the soap box derby,” Flanagan said.

The soap box derby will be part of a larger race circuit which takes place in Bristol, Rhode Island, and Somerset. The winners of the races will win prizes and a chance to race the winners of the other two communities for a larger prize. Prizes will also be awarded to the fastest car and most creative car. There will be two divisions: Standard Kit division and Modified Kit Division.